The First Grain

The kitchen was already awake before the sun. A soft clatter of vessels, the smell of rice washing in water, and voices moving gently between rooms. It was Pongal morning, and the house felt fuller than usual, even before anyone arrived.

On the stove sat a wide pot, milk warming slowly, rice ready to be added. Aarav stood on a small stool near the counter, watching everything with careful interest. When his grandmother took a handful of rice and placed it aside in a small steel bowl, he frowned.

“Why are we not putting all of it in?” he asked. “Isn’t more better?”

She smiled, not stopping her work. “This is the first grain,” she said. “We keep it aside.”

“For later?” Aarav pressed.

“For before,” she replied softly.

He did not understand at first. The pot began to bubble, milk rising steadily, steam filling the room. As the rice cooked, his grandmother picked up the small bowl and placed it near the window, where sunlight had just begun to touch the floor.

“This,” she said, “is our way of saying thank you before we eat. For the soil, for the hands that worked, for the time that passed quietly.”

Aarav watched the grain sit untouched. It felt strange to pause when food was almost ready. Yet something about the stillness made the moment feel important.

When the Pongal finally boiled over, laughter filled the kitchen. Bowls were served, sweetness shared, conversations flowed easily. Aarav ate happily, but his eyes kept returning to the window.

Later that day, as the house settled, he asked again, “Do we always need to keep something aside first?”

His grandmother nodded. “Not just food,” she said. “Even success, growth, or good days. When we pause to acknowledge them, they stay warmer.”

That evening, Aarav carefully placed a small part of his sweet Pongal back into the bowl, just for a moment, before eating the rest.

Flash: In our fast paced lives and workplaces, we rush to consume results before acknowledging effort. Pausing to recognise contributions changes how we experience success. Gratitude creates steadiness before growth accelerates.

Moral: Abundance feels complete only when gratitude comes first. When we acknowledge the unseen work behind outcomes, success becomes meaningful and grounded.

Gratitude is not what we do after receiving more; it is what allows more to arrive gently!!